Senior Applied Scientist

About the Team:

Sojern’s Applied Science team is part of the Science and Optimization team. We drive major impact for Sojern’s customers because we develop systems to automate and optimize advertising campaigns, define new methods for measuring advertising performance, and apply machine learning at scale for thousands of customers. We utilize a range of algorithms and methods to do this including:

• Bayesian statistics and supervised learning to model conversion rates and revenue
• Thompson sampling and linear programming to balance campaign objectives
• Scaled AI/ML with Tensorflow/Kubeflow to model a traveler’s propensity to book
• A/B tests and synthetic control methods to estimate the impact of our work

And as a part of a broader engineering team, we deliver through the full data product life-cycle: from prototyping to production component development. This provides each team member the opportunity to gain additional experience with a range of technologies such as Tensorflow, Kubeflow, Docker and the Google Cloud Platform.

Position summary:

We are looking for a Senior Applied Scientist to help improve the performance of our targeting and optimization products.

What you bring to the table:

• You have hands-on experience building production-level ML and data products.
• You have expert-level understanding of data science topics.
• You have at least two years experience as an applied scientist and preferably one year of experience within the Ad Tech ecosystem.
• You have an MS or PhD in computer science or a quantitative discipline, or equivalent experience.
• You can write production code in Python and can reason about algorithmic efficiency.
• You can design and apply machine learning models (supervised, unsupervised, reinforcement learning, causal inference and uplift, etc.) to solve business problems.
• You can effectively communicate with applied scientists, data scientists, engineers and product managers.
• You can evaluate, analyze and interpret model results resulting in further improvement of existing statistical model performance
• You can perform complex data analysis using SQL/Jupyter notebook to find underlying issues and propose a solution to stakeholders explaining the various trade-offs associated with the solution.
• You can work independently to solve data challenges with data science, machine learning and algorithms.
• You can use your grit and initiative to fill in gaps and drive projects to completion.

The value you deliver:

• You drive technical impact by making meaningful, well-designed, reusable, efficient contributions to data-driven products.
• You mentor and participate in code/design reviews.
• You partner with product managers to improve requirements.
• You innovate in the context of trade-offs.
• Every member of the team works on key initiatives and has outsized impact, helping Sojern deliver more bookings for our customers.

What we have for you:

• Flexi-Fridays: Sojernistas typically work a ½ day and we have no mandatory meetings on Fridays. To make this possible, Sojernistas ensure deliverables are met throughout the week.
• Flexibility: Remote and hybrid work options, so our team can enjoy flexibility and do their best work regardless of location
• Equity: Stock options are offered to every employee
• Tech: Monthly cell phone & wifi stipend provided, in addition to laptop and tech equipment for your home office
• Paid Parental Leave: 16 weeks pay for birthing parents and 12 weeks pay for non-birthing parents, beginning the day of joining until the child's first birthday. Where a local country has more liberal leave protocol, we happily comply! #embrace-inclusion
• Learning Opportunities: All employees have access to an annual L&D stipend, as well as ongoing training and support to help you grow while leading creative and challenging projects
• Sojern Gives Back: We regularly organize office volunteer programs with local charities and organizations, as well as provide 40 hours of paid time per year to volunteer
• Culture: Strong core business values, focus on teamwork, vibrant, social and fun environment
• Travel Perks: IATA membership and personal travel “hotel stay” benefit
• Recognition: We use Bonusly to allow our team to recognize performance and teamwork #deliver-wow #win-as-a-team
• Wellbeing: We take a whole-person approach to your wellness with Spring Health mental health benefits, a Wellness Coach, and Employee Assistance Programs

About Sojern:

At Sojern, we believe in the power of travel as a way to bring the world together. It is that passion that drives Sojern to build smart digital solutions that help travel marketers reach travelers efficiently, and increase long-term growth, customer loyalty and profitability.

Our customers include hotels, attractions and tourism boards, and they use the power of machine learning, data science and real-time traveler data in Sojern’s products to build direct relationships with travelers across social, mobile and the web. Now, more than ever, our thousands of customers rely on Sojern to drive visits, bookings, and ticket sales by engaging with travelers as they plan their travel.

As a globally distributed company, we are headquartered in San Francisco with employees based in 14 countries and counting. Our team is passionate about travel and the core values that define our culture: Win as a Team, Embrace Inclusion, Be Genuine, Deliver Wow, and Center Around the Customer. Check out our Glassdoor reviews!

Hiring Locations:

US Roles at Sojern based outside of our Omaha, NE or San Francisco, CA office can sit in any of the following states: AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, MA, MI, MN, MO, NE, NJ, NY, NC, PA, SD, TN, TX, UT, WA, and WI. Please only apply if you are able to live and work full-time in one of the states listed above. State locations and specifics are subject to change as our hiring requirements shift.

CA residents: For information on the personal information that Sojern collects when you apply for this job, and how that information is handled, please see the Sojern Privacy Policy.

Disclosure - Pre-Employment Requirements:

All candidates offered employment by Sojern may be subject to pre-employment requirements, including but not limited to a background check. Sojern is compliant with all federal and local laws with consideration to pre-employment requirements.

Our Commitment to Diversity Equity and Inclusion:

At Sojern, we work to create a brave space that seeks out, embraces, and promotes diverse thoughts, beliefs, and experiences of Sojernistas globally.

We are building a workforce that represents the customer base we are serving and the world we live in. A diversified workforce is an innovative workforce. Just as there is no one typical traveler, there is no one typical employee. We foster diversity and inclusion across the company, actively seeking to amplify underrepresented voices and apply diverse perspectives to ensure products, policies, and programs are relevant for our employees and clients alike.

Embracing our differences and celebrating them moves us towards our goal of making travel inclusive of all. Sojern has employee resource groups which are the core of our culture, fostering belonging, inspiring learning, and creating opportunities for all Sojernistas across the globe.

• The DEI Council, which fosters diversity, equity and inclusion among our global team
• Sojern Gives Back, which organizes corporate giving and volunteering activities
• SoProud, our LGBTQ+ affinity group for community members and allies
• SoEmpowered, a group dedicated to advancing women in leadership and business
• SoFit, supporting employee health and wellness

We also have employee-run Slack channels for those with specific interests, for example parents, plant lovers or pets.

At Sojern, we value diversity and always treat all employees and job applicants based on merit, qualifications, competence, and talent. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender orientation, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

Sojern is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities. Please inform your TA Partner if you are requesting a reasonable accommodation.